NEW YORK – San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the recipient of the 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today.

Buford assembled a roster this season that featured six players averaging double figures in scoring and eight players averaging 20 or more minutes. The Spurs clinched homecourt advantage for the 2014 postseason by virtue of having posted the league’s best record at 62-20 (.756). San Antonio was the only team to record 30-plus wins both at home (32-9, .780) and on the road (30-11, .732), and the 2013-14 campaign marked the 15^th consecutive season that the Spurs posted 50-plus wins – an NBA record.

The longstanding trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been fortified in recent years with the additions of Boris Diaw, Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills (third seasons with the team), as well as Danny Green and Tiago Splitter (fourth seasons with the team). Buford added Marco Belinelli this past offseason, who fit seamlessly into the rotation, with averages of 11.4 ppg (fifth on the team) and 25.2 mpg (fourth on the team).

Buford becomes the third Spurs Executive to win the award, joining Angelo Drossos (1977-78 season) and Bob Bass (1989-90 season). The Spurs tied the fifth-longest winning streak in NBA history this season, when they peeled off 19 consecutive victories between Feb. 26-April 2.

In his 23^rd year with the franchise, Buford has previously held the positions of Assistant Coach, Head Scout, Director of Scouting and Vice President/Assistant General Manager before being tabbed with his current title as Spurs General Manager in July, 2002. Buford also holds the overarching title of President of Sports Franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, presiding over the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars, the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros and the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League, in addition to the Spurs.

Buford totaled 58 points and received nine first-place votes from a panel of his fellow team basketball executives throughout the NBA. The Phoenix Suns’ Ryan McDonough finished second with 47 points (five first-place votes) votes and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Neil Olshey finished third with 34 points (five first-place votes).  Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Below are the results of the voting for the 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

2013-14 NBA BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS

Executive, Team                           1^st           2^nd          3^rd           Total

R.C. Buford, San Antonio            9             3             4             58

Ryan McDonough, Phoenix           5             6             4             47

Neil Olshey, Portland                     5             2             3             34

Masai Ujiri, Toronto                      3             3             4             28

Pat Riley, Miami                            1             3             1             15

Sam Presti, Oklahoma City            1             3             1             15

Danny Ainge, Boston                    1             2             2             13

Billy King, Brooklyn                     2             —             1             11

Daryl Morey, Houston                   —             3             1             10

Ernie Grunfeld, Washington          1             1             2             10

Rod Higgins, Charlotte                   1             —             1             6

Larry Bird, Indiana                        —             2             —             6

Doc Rivers, L.A. Clippers              —             1             3             6

Bob Myers, Golden State               1             —             —             5

Danny Ferry, Atlanta                     —             1             —             3

Gar Forman, Chicago                     —             —             2             2

Donnie Nelson, Dallas                   —             —             1             1

ALL-TIME NBA BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1972-73   Joe Axelson, K.C./Omaha

1973-74  Eddie Donovan, Buffalo

1974-75  Dick Vertlieb, Golden State

1975-76  Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix

1976-77  Ray Patterson, Houston

1977-78  Angelo Drossos, San Antonio

1978-79  Bob Ferry, Washington

1979-80  Red Auerbach, Boston

1980-81  Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix

1981-82  Bob Ferry, Washington

1982-83  Zollie Volchok, Seattle

1983-84  Frank Layden, Utah

1984-85  Vince Boryla, Denver

1985-86  Stan Kasten, Atlanta

1986-87  Stan Kasten, Atlanta

1987-88  Jerry Krause, Chicago

1988-89  Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix

1989-90  Bob Bass, San Antonio

1990-91  Bucky Buckwalter, Portland

1991-92  Wayne Embry, Cleveland

1992-93  Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix

1993-94  Bob Whitsitt, Seattle

1994-95  Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers

1995-96  Jerry Krause, Chicago

1996-97  Bob Bass, Charlotte

1997-98  Wayne Embry, Cleveland

1998-99  Geoff Petrie, Sacramento

1999-00  John Gabriel, Orlando

2000-01  Geoff Petrie, Sacramento

2001-02  Rod Thorn, New Jersey

2002-03  Joe Dumars, Detroit

2003-04  Jerry West, Memphis

2004-05  Bryan Colangelo, Phoenix

2005-06  Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers

2006-07  Bryan Colangelo, Toronto

2007-08  Danny Ainge, Boston

2008-09  Mark Warkentien, Denver

2009-10  John Hammond, Milwaukee

2010-11  Gar Forman, Chicago

Pat Riley, Miami

2011-12  Larry Bird, Indiana

2012-13  Masai Ujiri, Denver

2013-14  R.C. Buford, San Antonio